Author: The Author

Believe, Dream, and Imagine

by The Author, posted in Blog

One of the most important factors in taking it to the next level is understanding that before something that you desire can manifest in the physical realm, it must first be established in the spiritual realm. I discuss this in my featured YouTube video here.

What do you wish for in 2023? What do you seek to change in your life? You’ll need to think about it, imagine it, dream about it and BELIEVE that it can happen, and it will.

A view of the lake and trees

My desire for 2023 is to live in a place from which I can view Lake Ontario and some trees, too!

Right now, I have a view of tall buildings.

That’s all right. It’s a  big change from the Bulgarian village where I lived for a little over ten years and from which I had a view of the Rila Mountains, the beauty of which never ceased to inspire me.

Here in Toronto, the buildings are imposing, dominant and outwardly embody the power of an industrialized country, Canada.

This is all good, but I desire a view of the lake (and some trees) so that I can see actual sunrises and sunsets as opposed to looking at them reflected in the windows of skyscrapers.

The reflections are beautiful and brilliant, but unlike in Plato’s cave, I want to see the real thing and not its shadow.

It happens in the spiritual realm first

If you wish to change something in your life, the first step is to desire this change.

Then you must be able to focus on such.

It’s where we focus our attention that matters. Where we focus our attention begins to—on the spiritual level—activate our desires.

Imagine what you want

In my mind’s eye, I can see the key to my new place.

I open the door and walk inside.

I imagine myself walking around, observing the rather large windows, the view. I can see that there’s a wooden floor, too.

Now I’ve furnished my new place and can see an off-white couch, an intricate, Persian rug, paintings of ancient sailing ships, and other artistic decorations.

I can also see my desk with a large computer station on it. This is from where I’ll communicate with you, my LRC clients, in the near future.

It doesn’t start today

I vaguely remember having had a vision of this place at an earlier stage in my life.

A big door. An opening. Something significant.

My point is that even if we are barely aware of our desires or that they’re latent, they are still there in seed form. This matches James Hillman’s acorn theory[1] which posits that our lives are all about finding our acorn.

I’m convinced that the inception of our desires exists in our individualized acorns. It’s up to us to feed, water and allow these desires to grow. This is the core of what Take it to the Next Level is about.

The view from my new place is what I’ve always dreamed of. It’s beautiful, inspiring, yet not overwhelming because the trees are there, too, to balance the water scene.

I can see the sun start to rise and timidly peek above the water on the horizon. The sky is a pinkish-blue. It’s gorgeous and I’m right there, right where I’m supposed to be.

Let’s ‘Take it to the Next Level,’ book your appointment today,

Luba

Photo by Juliet Sarmiento on Unsplash

[1] See The Soul’s Code, In Search of Character and Calling by James Hillman.

Boxing Day Special

by The Author, posted in Blog

BOXING DAY SPECIAL Grab 101 Gold Nuggets of Advice—an Amazon, Kindle, KDP eBook—for CDN $0.00 on Boxing Day, December 26, 2022 here.

#boxingday #free #ebook #spiritual #wisdom #quotations #Toronto #author

We need to Exit the Matrix Mentality

by The Author, posted in Blog

I hope this combination audio-text blog finds you well as we approach Christmas and Hannukah.

I have a new toy

I’m happy to finally get to test my new, wireless microphone. I’m like a kid about these things. Every new gadget makes me happy, and I’m especially happy if you can hear my voice clearly. (Click below for the audio version of this blog post.)

A big part of Take it to the Next Level has to do with feeling dissatisfied with where you’re at.

You have a gnawing feeling that you can be more, do more.

That’s why I’m striving to work on the primer, Take it to the Next Level, How to Rise in Life. I want to be able to have it ready for you.

I finished Module 13 most recently and am waiting on inspiration for Module 14.

Allow yourself to be inspired

That’s just it, I have to wait for inspiration to come before the next module ‘emerges.’

Next Level work happens within the messiness of life. It’s there—ready to access—waiting for you to pay attention to it. It really is that simple.

It happens in a quiet moment, when the sun suddenly appears from behind the skyscrapers, when you can and are willing to—for a moment—turn away from the business of life.

It happens while you’re doing the things you’re doing; while I’m busy being the part-time chaplain, and part-time student, and doing other activities.

We need to exit the Matrix Mentality

I recently became frustrated because of something bureaucratic.

It reminded me that we live in what some call a matrix because when things flow the way they’re supposed to flow, there is no bureaucracy. There isn’t that extra layer of ‘fluff’ that is completely unrelated to what you’re trying to achieve but suits others’ purposes.

The environment that surrounds us can—in and of itself—be an impediment to living our best lives, allowing our talents to emerge and moving up in levels.

I say it clearly in the primer, not everyone will cheer you on when you’re determined to Take it to the Next Level. Quite the contrary, we don’t want to be pushed out of our comfort zone. It’s so much easier not too make that extra effort, give ourselves that gentle ‘little kick.’

In a way, when you take it up a level, when you poke your head out of the ordinary, when you peer outside the matrix, you’re saying no to things that block you from utilizing your full potential. More importantly, you’re saying yes to the unknown and a certain level of risk.

Spirituality is squirmy, but good

Although spirituality—like something squirmy—is hard to put one’s finger on and can vary from person to person, we can all feel when we’re being limited.

The whole point of Take it to the Next Level is to shift our focus to what we CAN do, what we LIKE to do and what we’re inherently GOOD at doing.

It really is that simple.

Joyous festivities ahead and let’s Take it to the Next Level together,

Luba

Featured Photo by JOSHUA COLEMAN on Unsplash

It’s Almost Christmas

by The Author, posted in Blog

I’m not sure about you, but I’m excited that Christmas is just around the corner!

Photo by Ian Keefe on Unsplash

I love the above photo because it makes me dream of being inside that toasty cabin—a beautiful and peaceful oasis in a winter wonderland.

If it were possible, perhaps you and I could be sitting there, together, talking about your life and how you would like to change it, improve it and become the person you’ve always dreamed of being.

It starts with a dream, a vision first and then comes the reality.

I’m convinced that it can happen to you, because I feel it happening to me.

Scrooge

I’m already thinking about Scrooge (click here to see the 1970 version). I like to watch this movie once a year as a reminder about lasting values such as love, fidelity and generosity.

Holiday tunes are playing in my mind, too. (Click here to listen to some relaxing Christmas music).

Yesterday, I noticed that gift products were available at the Shopper’s Drug Mart I frequent and that people were already displaying that ‘nervous holiday energy.’

Black Friday Super Deal

Getting into the mood, please note my upcoming Black Friday Promotion:

*The first 15-minute, introductory session is always free, conditions apply. Offer valid on Friday, November 25, 2022 only if you book your first paid session by midnight and include promo code XP32.

I was rummaging through old, family photographs today.

I enjoyed seeing one of my paternal grandmother, my namesake, and father, Julius, as a young boy.

We all have a background and a history but it’s the radical transformations—like Scrooge’s—that happen along the way that arrest our attention.

Watching Scrooge makes me wonder how much we participate in the transformative, next-level process and how much of it comes from the Spirit.

Whatever the case, we are certainly co-participants in the up-leveling process.

Out of the blue

That which calls us to re-examine our lives often appears to come unannounced.

Like for Scrooge, it might be a little scary, but the end result is wonderful!

Nothing like it

Becoming a better version of ourselves is the opportunity that is given to us in this life.

I think that we ought to take advantage of this, perhaps the greatest of opportunities.

Merry Christmas in advance, and Happy Holidays, to all celebrants!

Let’s Take it to the Next Level Together,

Luba

Luba Rascheff Interviewed by Subkit

by The Author, posted in Blog

Read the interview here.

We Are Never Truly Lost: Chief Albany and the Li’l Nüvi

by The Author, posted in Blog

Some people are born with a good sense of direction and some, well, are not.

In a way, if I hadn’t turned right instead of going left—toward Banff, our destination—we wouldn’t have gotten lost at dusk near Lake Minnewanka and I wouldn’t have seen the baby deer on the road blinking at me in the car headlights in astonishment seemingly thinking, ‘What on earth are you doing here?’ Mama deer was nearby and the family quickly leaped safely back into the dense woods.

The Canadian Rockies | LUBA RASCHEFF PHOTOGRAPHY

If I hadn’t booked the holiday through a third party, I would have been able to change our WestJet flight; wouldn’t have arrived in the late afternoon (after an unexpected delay); and would have missed seeing the family of elk peacefully grazing on the side of the TransCanada Highway (A1). What a sight! Next to what geologists call ‘cluster blocks’ and ordinary folk call mountains.

When you don’t have a good sense of direction, GPS becomes very important. And when your GPS doesn’t immediately locate satellites it becomes a problem at best or your worst nightmare. When I saw ‘Ontario’ appear in location and not ‘Alberta,’ my heart dropped.

It all started in the garage of Enterprise rent-a-car at the Calgary International Airport. I was given a speed tour of the Hyundai Kona (2021 model)—and a map. The map and a compassionate hotel receptionist in Calgary are what got us on the A1. He said, ‘You can use the GPS on your phone.’ That’s what—eventually—got us to Banff. I prayed that God would bless this man and his entire family.

Calgary International Airport | LUBA RASCHEFF PHOTOGRAPHY

I like my GPS and call it the Li’l Nüvi for short. It’s actually a Garmin nüvi 44 LM. Without the Li’l Nüvi, I feel lost.

All this to say that in my mistakes—forgetting that the Li’l Nüvi can’t locate satellites while surrounded by concrete in an underground parking lot—and allowing trepidation to take hold of me when we were ‘this’ close to Banff led to the most wonderful discoveries. I learned that my phone can guide me just as well (no offense, Li’l Nüvi); that elk and deer come out at dusk; and that all detours lead to Banff.

Moose Hotel & Suites, Banff | LUBA RASCHEFF PHOTOGRAPHY

Still processing the experience

As I pen these words from my Toronto residence, I realize that I continue to process the spiritual significance of my trip to Banff and the ‘cluster blocks.’ The Nepalese waiter (she/her) from Pacini’s who was born in Kathmandu calls them ‘Baby Mountains.’ We got a good laugh out of that. They may be babies but they sure have clout!

Chief Albany

Possibly the oddest thing that happened on the trip was sensing the presence of Chief Albany. This is not the man’s real name, but for those who have ears to hear, let them hear. It happened at thirty thousand feet.

‘My name is Luba and I’m in an iron bird.’

‘I know what planes are,’ the chief replied.

This provided a good laugh, too.

View From Above | LUBA RASCHEFF PHOTOGRAPHY

We are never truly lost

There was no doubt that I was on the traditional territories—in this case in the traditional air space—of the Indigenous people.

Although I was physically lost near Lake Minnewanka, the chief ‘spotted’ me even before I stepped foot on land and knew exactly where I was.

The mountains seemed to know, too. After every excursion, I would feel their calm and sober presence.

A Panorama View of Lake Louise | LUBA RASCHEFF PHOTOGRAPHY

I had some hesitation before taking my 85-year-old mother out west, but decided to cast my fears aside and go.

And if you’re wondering, the Li’l Nüvi connected to satellites in Alberta after all.

Let’s Take it to the Next Level together,

Luba

Part-time chaplain and student by day; spiritual counsellor by night.

Book your first free session here.

I’m not busy. I’m on vacation.

by The Author, posted in Blog

Am enjoying the beauty and tranquility of Niagara-on-the-Lake.

The drives through the countryside are refreshing and there’s a seemingly endless supply of wineries, vineyards and hydroponics. Fresh fruit is for sale everywhere.

Although there were some threatening, billowing, dark clouds earlier this morning, the sun is shining as I relax in my Holiday Inn Express hotel room.

I placed a sign outside my room which reads, ‘Hang on! I’m busy.’

In the old days, the sign used to say, ‘Do not disturb’ on one side and ‘Please clean room’ on the other.

Today, it reads, ‘Hang on! I’m busy’ on both sides!

The truth is that I’m not busy because I’m on vacation.

The venerable Chögyam Trungpa used to say that there is no such thing as a vacation because life is still happening. Just because you’re on vacation doesn’t mean that you have an excuse to avoid life.

We couldn’t, for example, avoid seeing the tall, lanky, dark stranger with the bizarre, twisted ‘Joker’ grin walking down the regional road with cars zipping by and wondering. And we couldn’t avoid remembering that in spite of being surrounded by natural beauty we were still in the midst of a global pestilence.

But for me to say ‘Hang on! I’m busy’ in my hotel room (on both sides no less) is erroneous. It’s part of the old thinking which equates busyness with productivity and relaxation with sloth.

To relax is not to be slothful. Relaxation is a boon for body, mind, spirit and soul.

We are entering into a new era so perhaps the sign should read, ‘I’m relaxing now. Please clean the room later.’

Let’s Take it to the Next Level together,

Luba

Applied Sensitivity

by The Author, posted in Uncategorized

I opened a new, online Picfair store and am very happy with my June, Twitter promotion to Tokyo, Japan.

This promotion reached 130K+ individuals, far exceeding Twitter’s prediction. I reached approximately 43K people per day instead of Twitter’s 3.9K per day maximum.

I have been focusing on taking close-ups of flowers.

One of the comments I received from Japan was, ‘I wish I could take such beautiful photographs with my mobile telephone.’

Love the flower

My reply to this individual was that they could, if they loved the flower.

When taking photographs, it is the love that we feel for the subject of the photograph that counts.

It is the love and attention that we bestow upon, in this case, the flower that creates the conscious ‘link’ between photographer and flower that, in turn, results in a beautiful photograph.

Masaru Emoto speaks of consciousness and how our thoughts and intentions affect molecular structures.[1] To love the flower means to impart love, affection and appreciation for the peace, beauty and healing properties that emanate from it. The flower then feels this and, in turn, reciprocates by allowing its true essence to be photographed.

This is because flowers are not inanimate objects; they are living beings that feel.

My newfound passion for photographing flowers is intrinsically bound up in taking it to the next level.

When I remove the false concept that a photograph is just ‘point and shoot,’ I acknowledge the preciousness of nature and the privilege I’m given to be able to artistically represent it.

If we ever hope to Take it to the Next Level, we need to ditch the point-and-shoot mentality and replace it with a slower, more caring, more loving approach—to both photography and life itself.

We are one

In many ways, we are bound up with nature.

A truly great photograph results in the photographer becoming united with her subject.

To lovingly pay attention to nature is to allow its healing properties to wash over us.

Applied sensitivity is a pre-requisite

Have you ever wanted to take a class but realized that you hadn’t met the pre-requisite—another class that you had to take first?

Well, we can say that the pre-requisite to capturing a flower’s true essence is applied sensitivity.

More and more people are becoming sensitive to the concept of interconnectivity and conscious interchange these days.

The next step is to apply this understanding in action—in this case photography.

After a typical day as a chaplain—during which time I see illness and sometimes death—the flowers ‘speak’ to me.

The flowers reveal the grace of God and how it always covers us, no matter what.

Let’s Take it to the Next Level together. Book your appointment today here,

Luba

Follow Take it to the Next Level on Facebook here.

Buy beautiful prints for your home or office here.

Image credit: THE SERIES VII by Luba Rascheff

[1] ‘Dr. Masaru Emoto and Water Consciousness, New frontiers in mind-body wellness,’ The Wellness Enterprise, accessed online July 11, 2021, https://thewellnessenterprise.com/emoto/.

Good Grief

by The Author, posted in Blog

Sometimes I feel like exclaiming, Good grief!, When will this pandemic end?

What I have noticed in my clients, though, is that the pandemic has afforded them the time to be on their own, reflect and grieve.

Good grieving is something that we have time to do during the pandemic. It’s one of the pluses of being at home.

Memories from the past resurge and we have the time to process them, something that was less likely before.

We may feel a tinge in our heart, followed by sadness, followed by letting go.

It’s important to let these memories surface and then leave our system energetically as well as verbally when we tell someone.

In his book, Modern Man in Search of a Soul, the renown psychiatrist Carl G. Jung discusses the concept of confession as being the first step in a psychic process that, ultimately, leads to transformation.

When we, for example, reveal our secrets to our analyst, we are confessing (expressing verbally) that which was previously concealed.

According to Jung, that which remains concealed—remains secret—leads to illness. In his own words, ‘To cherish secrets and to restrain emotions are psychic misdemeanours for which nature finally visits us with sickness ….’[1]

As a chaplain, I see physical illnesses that are manifestations of unresolved spiritual issues. I find that when the person shares their story with me (a kind of confession) and we pray together, they feel better and are able to release anger or sadness or perplexity.

It starts with ‘confession’ and all comes out.

To tell your truth to another human being is not easy and involves trust.

Tears may flow after which comes a release like no other.

We cannot move from one level to the next without having fully worked through our issues at the level we presently find ourselves.

We must confess before moving to Jung’s next steps of explanation, education, and transformation.

The model that I use in Take it to the Next Level, ‘Listen Recognize and Create’ (or Co-create) is similar to, but different from, the psychic process defined above.

Take it to the Next Level is all about you finding the knowledgeable, qualified person (mentor or spiritual coach) you’ve always been looking for to really listen to you, recognize the issue that is blocking you from advancing, and (together) create a plan to move forward.

In order to move up a level, we need to let go of our past. When we let go, we can ‘climb out and climb up’ a level.

The pandemic has forced us to let go of many things: we can’t go places we used to go; meet people we used to see; or engage in the distractions we used to engage in.

The pandemic has forced us to stay home and spend time with ourselves. This is a plus because it is only when we look at ourselves that we realize that we are no longer satisfied with the status quo. We realize that we want to change, want to move up a level.

We may have all the material things we could ever want, but our soul is crying out, telling us something is missing.

Let’s Take it to the Next Level together. Book your appointment today here,

Luba

Follow Take it to the Next Level on Facebook here.

Looking for quality photographs that inspire? Check out my prints here; choose the photo you like; and click on the image of the shopping cart. Select Canvas, Metallic or Mounted and size. Shipping is FREE and major credit cards are accepted.

Want to read spiritually uplifting books? Check out my books here.

Photo by Karim MANJRA on Unsplash

[1] C.G. Jung, Modern Man in Search of a Soul (New York: Harcourt, 1933), 34.

Dark Times, Open Heaven

by The Author, posted in Blog

I feel saturated, bombarded by Covid-19 news. What about you?

Dr. Neil Levitsky, a Toronto, Ontario psychiatrist, says we should be aware of pandemic news but limit how much we watch.[1] I agree.

We recently celebrated the First Sunday of Advent whose first candle represents hope. For Christians, this hope exemplifies both the Nativity and Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Christian theologian John Piper thinks that Christ should be the rock on which we lean in the midst of the pandemic, a pandemic which is opening a way for transformation.[2] I believe that this transformation is both personal and societal.

You may wonder, ‘Luba, how on earth can I take my life to the Next Level in the middle of so much insecurity, division and change?’ ‘Luba’, you may say, ‘people are dying, and you expect me to believe that there is a God and that this God cares about me?’

Yes, I do.

God works best in dark times because God’s light shines most then. These are precisely the times we’re living in.

Dark Times, Open Heaven

Many believe that, in spite of the dark times we’re in, we are also living under an open heaven which means that communication is actively happening between heaven and earth.[3]  

As bleak as things appear around us in the physical realm, as dark as the situation seems to be, as uncertain as our circumstances are, there is an ‘openness’ that covers us through which blessings come. This is the hope that I refer to in this piece.

God has a plan for each and every one of us. God’s plan for me was to leave Bulgaria, come to Canada and become a chaplain in war time.[4] Although we are not in a traditional war, we seem to be involved in a new kind of warfare, an invisible war with an invisible enemy, Covid-19.

God’s blessings will pour on us when—in the midst of this warlike atmosphere, a kind of protracted lent from pre-Covid-19 activities we took for granted—we remember God.

What is impossible—Next Level thinking—suddenly becomes possible in a step-by-step, day-by-day reliance on the knowledge that we are living under an open heaven that is ready to pour out its gifts on us so long as we accept the transformation that is required of us now.

‘You mean, Luba, that more is required of me than being careful and wearing a mask?’

Yes, I do.

I think that we’ve been given this time of ‘straightening’ as a reprieve. You can think of it as grace or a grace period that’s been given to us to get rid of all the extraneous things and relationships in our lives that are preventing us from rising in life, being the person we were always meant to be.

Open Heaven

An open heaven is clear, bright, gracious, and freeing. It accepts us with our foibles and is ever ready to provide and guide, caress and bless, help, and support, acknowledge and rebuke and love us. An open heaven is uncomplicated and balanced, ruled yet tolerant, and fundamentally good. An open heaven is filled with goodness. It is ready to cover you in an abundance of beauty and goodness in the midst of your pain and suffering.

Feeling a little anxious because of the pandemic? Unsure of what to do next? Perhaps you’ve just retired and don’t know what to do with the rest of your life? As an experienced chaplain in a first class retirement home and psychotherapy intern at the University of Toronto, I can help you.

Let’s Take it to the Next Level together. Book your appointment today,

Luba

Follow Take it to the Next Level on Facebook here.

Looking for quality photographs to adorn your walls? Check out my prints here. After clicking on the link, choose the photo you like, click on the image of the shopping cart, and then select your print type—Canvas, Metallic or Mounted and size. Shipping is FREE and major credit cards are accepted.

Looking for a unique Christmas gift? Buy my book, 101 Gold Nuggets of Advice, here.

Photo by Johannes Plenio on Unsplash

[1] Neil Levitsky, ‘COVID 19 coping strategies,’ YouTube, accessed online on December 1, 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wn7mKyKwPDI.

[2] John Piper, ‘COVID-19,’ YouTube, accessed online on December 1, 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgfu6JLB_XE&vl=en.

[3] Dr. James W. Goll, ‘What Really Happens in an Open Heaven?,’ Charisma, accessed online on December 1, 2020, https://www.charismamag.com/blogs/a-voice-calling-out/22133-what-really-happens-in-an-open-heaven.

[4] Read the description on my website’s home page, https://lubarascheffconsultancy.com/.